Where There's Cake, There's Hope...Bake Off 25

[GetSetFake]

The new series starts on Tuesday 2nd September and the bakers have been named. A few weeks earlier than recent seasons, so taking us nicely from late summer through to the cosiness of autumn.

No change to the team of Paul, Prue, Noel and Alison, which I thought worked well last year - it was a warmer and kinder programme than it has been for a few years.

The usual eclectic mix of contestants, but less of an age spread than some years - a lot of 30 somethings, no-one under 20 or over 60.

Anyone else excited for this season?

The Great British Bake Off confirms return date for season 16 and reveals cast | Radio Times

Me! I am. I agree last series was nicer and better although I think the bakers are getting less good. Since I cannot bake, this bothers me less than some people!

I’m looking forward to this, love Bake Off.

Placemarking, cant wait

Whispers - Christmas soon 🎄🥰

Ooh lovely. DH loves it when Bake off starts because i start baking too 😁

Also agree last year was warmer and kinder so hope we have more of the same this year. I do love the addition of Alison and her and Noel work well which you would never expect as they are so very different.

I will try my best not to get frustrated with rubbish bakes. I love baking but am certainly not up to the standard of Bake Off (or rather the standard Bake Off used to demand).

I agree Alison is fantastic in this, she's lovely with the contestants.

Excellent! Something to look forward to after going back to work. Thanks for the thread

Thank you for the new thread! I agree with you - this presenting line-up is much warmer. Seems to be genuine camaraderie and warmth without undercurrents of mean mockery or people taking themselves too seriously.

Hope it will be a good season without too many outlandish theme-weeks (I think I'm getting old. Perhaps "Menopause Week" - with marshmallow Tena Pad-themed puddings and Agar-Agar HRT patches...? nomnomnom 😉)

I think they had their fingers burned with Mexican Week a couple of years ago, they were ripped to shreds for cultural appropriation/crap recipes and last year was more classic themes. Just 70s week, as I recall, with the kitsch gateau and profiterole stacks. I usually bake along and enjoyed the last series so much. The judges recipes were really good - I've remade the vegan parkin and mint creams a few times and the banoffi pie was delicious.

While I can only take Alison in smaller doses I’m ok with them. I did enjoy Sandi and Matt when they teamed with Noel (and couldn’t stand Sue and Mel). Prue is great and I think us an amazing role model for women. My DD will be back at uni late September but we do TV watch nights with Bake Off!

@GetSetFake yes, Mexican Week was a bit crass, to say the least. I enjoyed 70s week though, nostalgic memories of looking through my mum's old cookery and cake decorating books. An 80s week might be nice - power pop and tins of Quattro. The nostalgia themes are less fraught with potential offensiveness.

Is it earlier this year? Is it going to clash with Sewing Bee? I can’t deal with that!

Yes, the early series always started in August but it slipped later and later to end of September for the last few series. But then the final would be a bit lost among the Christmas TV, Strictly etc.

I wasn't bothered about it running at the same time as Sewing Bee but hadn't thought it through - yes, it will literally be at the same time, won't it. That is a shame, big crossover audience I'd think.

The crossover annoys me but mainly because of MN threads!

I’m signing in but probably won’t watch live

Yaay to Bake Off Starting! We are back from holiday at the end of that week so will miss the first one but will do it on Catch Up before I join you all for the discussion.

I'm not Alison Hammond's biggest fan but I thought the pairing of her and Noel worked really well last year and that it made for a lovely series.

Can’t wait for it to start!

Every year (recently) i swear I won't watch the next year's. Yet here I am.

I just can't resist.

😄

Great to see it back.

Two of them are hairdressers, I wonder if they'll try to make that a rivalry :)

Nice article about Alison Hammond in this weekend's Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/aug/22/alison-hammond-interview-tvs-most-joyful-host

Interview with Paul and Prue. Contains spoilers for the Week 1 challenges. To summarise, these bakers are the most creative yet which made it a really hard series to judge:

"What we're attracting now is not just bakers, they're engineers, they're artists, they're creative, so their bakes are elevated to another level. This was the hardest year to decide who's going to leave. The quality was excellent."

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith reveal what makes this series of Bake Off different from all the rest

That Guardian interview with Alison is lovely, in marked contrast to Sandi Toksvig's comments after she left the Bake Off. Alison comes across not just as a nicer person, but as much more intelligent and perceptive about what the Bake Off means and why it appeals so much.

Yes, Sandi's comments were so unnecessary. I didn't mind her on the Bake Off, I don't think her boredom showed at the time, but it's lovely that Alison actually seems to be chuffed to bits to be on the programme.

Alison has come a long way for someone voted out very early on Big Brother all those years ago, she’s really worked for it and in the past few years has really become a household name - good for her!

Sandi Toksvig apparently said she hasn't watched Bake Off and preferred cheese to cakes. I wonder why she ever got the job in the first place? If they insist on having a 'celebrity' as a host, at least pick one who's a bit interested in the subject or enjoys their role.